Top Ten Myths About Meditation I've Learned In India

1. thoughts are not okay in meditation -- the mind must be perfectly free from all other activity.

2. the position of the physical body is important, one must sit absolutely still while meditating, no shifting, fidgeting, no lying down or slouching.

3. it's not okay to fall asleep (or snore!) during meditation....... zzzzzzzzzz.................

4. meditators can only do their important spiritual business, ie, meditating, in a perfectly serene, quiet location.

5. meditation goes against the nature of 'real life,' and as such, is like algebra in high school -- for 90% of people it has no practical applications in the 'real world.'

6. sitting on the bare ground makes for a good meditation session, closer to nature.

7. meditators are automatically more spiritually aware, calmer, and well-balanced emotionally compared to non-meditators.

8. all meditation techniques are more or less the same in terms of effectiveness.

9. meditation is a religious activity.

10. meditation is for wimps.